CEO on Stem Cells, Advancing Human Health, and Making Age 100 the 'New 60'

As CEO of BioXcellerator, a leading global stem cell therapy clinic and research organization, Eric Stoffers has set ambitious goals for growing his company. Yet beyond those business goals lies another inspirational mission that extends value to humanity worldwide. His vision is a grand one: To extend the human lifespan by decades, to make age 100 the "new 60."

We interviewed Stoffers to learn more about his vision, why he's adopted that mission, and what the future holds for making progress in extending human lifespan and improving quality of life in our later years.

You're known for your moonshot goal of making age 100 "the new 60." What does that mean?

Stoffers: It's based on how entrepreneur Peter Diamandis explains his vision for the future of health and longevity. As a member of Peter's Abundance 360 group with other entrepreneurs, health experts, and scientists, we all take an interest in what "old age" really means. How we can live healthier and longer is always on our minds at BioXcellerator and in our discussions with other leaders in the industry.

A few generations ago, reaching age 60 was a lot less likely than it is now. Today, many men and women aren't just living to 60 or 70 years old – they're more active traveling, playing golf, bike riding, and even surfing. Staying active also means engaging in business and projects that make the world better. That's why our goal is to not only increase our lifespan but also our healthspan so people can enjoy an active quality of life both physically and cognitively to age 100.

We're not there yet. With current technologies such as stem cell therapy and advanced diagnostic testing, along with nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices, we're currently able to add about 10 years to our healthspan. That means someone who is now living an active and vibrant life at age 60 can maintain that same cognitive and physical performance until age 70.

The term "lifespan" makes sense but what does "healthspan" mean?

Stoffers: Living longer is great if you're enjoying life, but if you're in poor health, those extra years aren't going to be very pleasant. We need to think of longevity not as just a number – a quantity – but also as a quality, how well you live. By enhancing healthspan, we can not only live longer but also delay the onset of chronic disease.

What are the key qualities of healthspan that help people live well?

Stoffers: There are three core qualities of health that we need to preserve to improve healthspan. First there's cognitive function (thinking and memory). The second is physical (remaining active and mobile, free of pain with a body that's fit and strong). And the third is emotional (to have a sense of meaning or purpose in life and maintain healthy relationships with others).

How do stem cells work to help increase our healthspan and lifespan?

Stoffers: Stem cells enhance immunity and longevity by amplifying the body's ability to fight disease, reduce inflammation, and heal itself – in effect slowing the impact of aging.

The aging process is a result of the breakdown in the communication between cells leading to cell senescence which is a loss of a cell's power of division and growth. This occurs as a result of inflammation, unhealthy diet or lifestyle, exposure to radiation, all these factors (and more) effect the epigenome and the communication of cells. Ongoing research shows that an application of stem cells can boost the body's ability to modulate the immune system, reduce chronic inflammation by modulating the release of cytokines, and signal other cells to stimulate healing throughout the body – in effect slowing the aging process.

After stem cell therapy Kevin Nash reported "Only one day after treatment, I woke up and could feel my hand, which had been numb for seven years. And now two months later, the 24/7 pain I had in my shoulders is gone."

Your company is known for advanced stem cell science. What makes BioXcellerator stem cells more effective than the cells offered at other clinics?

Stoffers: While some clinics harvest cells from bone marrow or adipose tissue, we start by culturing stem cells from donated umbilical cords. Research shows these cells are among the most effective in stimulating healing. We've also developed a proprietary protocol to screen these cells for specific proteins and genes we've identified as markers for the highest levels of anti-inflammatory properties, the best potential to modulate the immune system, and the highest potential to promote healing and regenerate damaged tissues.

"BioXcellerator stem cell therapy transformed my life." UFC legend Chuck Liddell

The list of professional athletes that come to your clinic for stem cell therapy to improve performance and extend their careers is an impressive one. Why do they choose BioXcellerator?

(Client list includes NFL and NBA players, UFC champions Chuck Liddell and Kamaru Usman, Steve-O, and super-agent Leigh Steinberg who the movie Jerry McGuire was based on)

Stoffers: Athletes choose us mostly because of our reputation. They hear about us from their peers and then discover that we have an excellent track record for helping athletes heal and recover more quickly from sports and orthopedic injuries, spine and disc injuries, chronic pain, and even to treat TBI and CTE. These athletes are always looking for ways to improve performance because faster healing and speeding up recovery time can extend their careers. So as word spreads about how stem cells can help improve athletic performance as well as improve their quality of life after retirement, more athletes come to us for treatment.

What can people do today to improve their healthspan and performance?

Stoffers: Combining healthy lifestyle choices and taking advantage of new technologies can slow the aging process. Those healthy lifestyle choices include focusing on four key areas:

Nutrition – especially an anti-inflammatory diet
Exercise to maintain strength, stability, and cardiovascular health
Getting quality sleep
Staying mentally active, which includes finding meaning and purpose in life

Plus, new technologies and molecules available now, and many more coming over the next five to 10 years, can enhance healthspan and lifespan. With advanced diagnostics that can detect heart disease and cancer earlier, the more proactive we can be in making lifestyle changes and getting earlier treatment before health issues become even more serious. The goal is to take a proactive, preventative approach to health – to prevent preventable disease.

Image Credit: Courtesy of BioXcellerator

Why is an anti-inflammatory diet so important?

Stoffers: Chronic inflammation can cause premature disease and deterioration of body tissue because it interferes with the body's immune response. So, an anti-inflammatory diet can help delay or prevent that deterioration. It's also essential in improving gut and microbiome health.

If there are two or three key changes someone can make to improve their quality of life and extend lifespan today, what would they be?

Stoffers: First, find a mission that's meaningful to you – something you'd be willing work on for the next 10 to 20 years. You might find meaning in taking care of a family member, discovering better therapies for treating breast cancer, improving our education system, or another mission. Then spend time each day working on that mission. Why? Your life will be better if you do.

Another is to eat less processed foods – reducing or eliminating refined sugar, refined carbohydrates and preservatives from your diet and replacing those with whole foods. Sounds simple but it can have a profound impact on your health, energy levels and quality of life.

And if you don't already exercise, start. It's the best thing you can do to improve cognitive performance and increase healthspan and lifespan. For people 50 and older, it's critically important to maintain strength and muscle mass, which are key predictors of longevity.

What are your plans for offering more advanced therapies to increase longevity and make them more widely available?

Stoffers: We have aggressive expansion plans which include opening new facilities over the next few years as well as launching a new venture, BioXhealth, to help more people take advantage of the latest innovative research in aging and performance science.

And our incredible team of scientists and researchers continue to develop new breakthroughs in cellular medicine to improve lives and offer new therapies. One example is that we're pioneering stem cell treatment for brain injuries such as TBI and chronic traumatic encephalopathy – or CTE. These treatments can reduce neuroinflammation and promote healing of brain tissue damaged by trauma. Current treatment options aren't very effective, so stem cell therapy offers new hope for veterans, first responders, high-impact athletes such as NFL players and others to improve their lives.

And of course, I continue to pursue the goal of making age 100 "the new 60" for more people.

Marvella Stewart was treated for TBI and chronic pain after car accident.

To learn more about Eric Stoffers and BioXcellerator Advanced Stem Cell Therapies visit:

EricStoffers.org

BioXcellerator.com

Or view BioXcellerator patient stories here on YouTube

CEO on Stem Cells, Advancing Human Health, and Making Age 100 the 'New 60' A Q+A with Eric Stoffers, CEO of BioXcellerator, a company that's pushing the boundaries in stem cell research.